Are you looking to save money on food while vacationing at Disney World? Or maybe you have a picky eater on your hands? Grocery delivery has become a popular option for guests staying at a Walt Disney World® resort, and there are a variety of options from which to choose.
Resort Gift shop
Every resort has a gift shop that carries a few groceries and personal care items, including diapers and medicine. The grocery items include your staples such as milk and other beverages, fruit, bread, peanut butter, crackers, snacks, frozen pizza, etc. While this is a convenient option for grabbing a few snacks, don’t expect to find everything on your typical grocery list.
Grocery Delivery
The easiest and more cost effective way to have groceries delivered to your resort is through local grocery delivery companies. These grocers will shop for everything on your list and then leave them with bell services at your resort. Bell services has a refrigerator where they will keep any items that need to remain refrigerated. So don’t worry if you have unexpected travel delays and will not be at your resort at the same time the groceries are being delivered. There are several grocery delivery companies that we recommend based on our personal travel experience.
Garden Grocer is the company that you will hear mentioned most often because they are known for being very reliable and reasonable. You create your shopping list from a selection of over 5,000 products. Your order must be a minimum of $40 and there is a $14 delivery fee ($2 delivery fee for orders of $200 or more). The products are priced at a slight mark-up, but you can receive a discount if you place your order in advance. If you order 60 days or more in advance, you will receive 10% off, for 30 days in advance you receive 7% off, and for 15 days in advance you receive 5% off).
Once you create your shopping list, you will choose your delivery date and select a 4-hour delivery window. Note that deliveries are only made between 8:00am – 9:00pm, 7 days a week.
We Go Shop is a grocery delivery service that will shop at Publix, Sam’s Club, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Whole Foods, or Winn Dixie. You choose your preferred grocery store, but they will add a $5 fee per additional store if you ask that they shop at more than one store. They do not offer a selection of products on their website. Instead, there is a blank form where you list your preferred grocery items. Note that you need to be specific about brand, size, quantity, flavor, etc. The plus-side of this method is that you can specify the products that you want. The downside is that you will not know the total cost of your groceries ahead of time. Also, the delivery fee is more expensive than other grocery delivery companies. The delivery fees are as follows:
- Total grocery bill of up to $50: $19 shopping service fee
- Total grocery bill between $50-$100: $24 shopping service fee
- Total grocery bill between $100-$200: $29 shopping service fee
- Total grocery bill between $200-$300: $39 shopping service fee
- Total grocery bill of $300+: shopping service fee of 13% of total grocery bill
Additional fees:
- $3.00 fuel surcharge for all orders
- $10 fee for same day service
- $5 per additional store shopped at
- $10 for “bag your own grocery” stores
- Minimum gratuity of the greater of 15% of the grocery store total receipt or $10 added to all orders that are left at bell services
Shipt is a relatively new grocery delivery company. It requires a membership, but you can sometimes sign up for a free two-week trial. To begin, you enter your delivery address and the website will generate a list of grocery store options in your area. Select your store and the store items and prices will appear. Add items to your cart until your shopping list is complete. If you do not see a specific item on the website, then you can submit a special request. When you are ready to check out, you will provide your credit card number and choose your delivery date and a 1-hour delivery window. Note, that you can only order 24-hours in advance. There is no minimum order, but orders over $35 will be delivered for free. Orders under $35 will be subject to a $7 delivery fee.
Ship Your Groceries
Another option is to shop for your groceries before you leave and have them shipped to your resort. The Disney resorts will accept packages on your behalf if you have a confirmed reservation.
Prime Pantry is a service where Amazon Prime members can shop for groceries and household products through the Prime Pantry website. You will fill a virtual box and the items will be delivered for a flat fee of $5.99. As you add items to your shopping cart, a “fill-percentage” will be calculated for your virtual box. The fill-percentage is based on the maximum dimensions or weight for that item. You can fill the virtual box with as little or as much product as you would like before having it shipped. The box does not have to be 100% full to be shipped.
As you can see, there are a variety of options for having groceries delivered to your Disney resort. If you will not have your own car or you do not want to pack groceries in your suitcase, then the above services will provide the convenience of having groceries delivered directly to your resort.
